Cultivator



Nov. s, 1927. 1,648,738

W. MILLS CULTIVATOR Filed Feb. 25, 1926 (STI Patented Nov. 8, 1927.

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PATE-Nar ofrrrce'.

' GUIiTIVATOR Applicationl filed February, 23, 1.926.# Serieelv No.' 90,213;.

TheA present invention relatesto.y culti,- vators, and more particularly, tol cultivatorsf which not only loosen thefearthbetweenthe.- rows of plants, but `out. off the` weeds: at the.

rootsthereof. Y

Anobjectf-of this invention is to provide a cultivator which is. operated .by hand'y power and whichwill in one operationloosen.

the earthibetweenthe plants andcut off the i weeds at the roots..

Another objectof. this-inventionfis to pro-y vide a device of this characterA having al plu-l rality. of. plows on the forward ,partlthereof andiwhich are removably securedvto thehody` frame so as to facilitate the sharpening oi to provide device of this.v character which.

combines a.; dirt loosener,.weed cutter,and a pair of guiding members to determine the proximity ofV the weed.. cut-ter, whilev it is in operation and buried under the. dirt,- to the plants which it is desired to leave upstanding; i

The above and various other objects and advantages of this invention will in part be described in, and understood from, the following detailed description thereof, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a reduced side elevation of a device constructed according to the present invention and showing the facility withl which the device may be operated by hand power.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary top View of the device and showing in detail the web construction of the body frame.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side View taken substantially along the lines 3 8 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged front view of the weed cutter and taken substantially along the lines 11-11 of Fig. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows, and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged front view of the plows taken substantially along the lines 5--5 of rig. a

i Referring to the drawing, the numeral designates a body frame which is preferably of web construction having the central part 4of the frame removed as at 11 so as to reduce the weight of the frame. The frame 10' is preferably constructed of metal and is substantially rigid. At the forward-.parti of the` frame 1.04 there-.is Aprovided .a .plurality of upstandmg; lugs 12. toiwhich issecured'y a pair. of. foiwvardlfy.r extending. arms; 13".k

which are. iny spaced relation to each; other'. The arms-13 may be securedto the lugs-i12 by a-.plurality of thumb bolts;` 111iA so thatithei armsflmay be removedfrom the fram-@10. when .it is desired to-store the cultivaton, andr to facilitate the initial shipmentthereof. i

, Aguide wheel 15 is mountedatthe fors ward en'd of thefarms 13,`- andaisadapted, to. turn. upon. an axle- 16: which. is mountedi through the arms and heldinhxed,pos-itidn` thereon by a plurality of lock nuts'1l7'.

Beneath the fra-me 10. andatthe forward.,y end. thereof there is provided aA series. of" lugs 18 which aremouiitedon thelower side of the frame 1.0, lpreferably in-pairs. and inV spacedrelationto each other.. The. lugs18 are adapted to receive thek upper end' ofya plow 19 so. as to. prevent anylateralimovefmentof. thesame. The plows19 areseoured. to theft-amel() betweenthelugs 18. by bolts 20 orathelike, the lbolts 20 holding-the. plows 19 againstthe. lower side of the. frame 10.,`

When tlieplows 19 become dulled. through use .they lmay be. easily` removed .by Vunloosen-Y ing the bolts 20 and removing the plows from the frame 10. The removability of the plows also makes it possible to pack for shipment the entire device into a small compact package. The outside plows 19 are referably mounted on the frame forwardly of the central plow, so as to provide a pair of leader plows and a trailing plow in somewhat the same manner as gang plows are mounted.

At the rear end of the frame 10 there is provided a pair of upstanding flanges 21, which are adapted to removably receive a pair of handles 22, which are secured to the flanges 21 by a plurality of bolts 23 or the like. The handles 22 are preferably mounted on the frame 10 at an obtuse angle thereto. It will of course be understood that with each individual who may operate this device, the exact angle of the handles should be varied, and to provide for this variation the outer end of the flange 21 is provided with 19 at the forward end of the frame 10.

arcuate arm 25, the lower end 26 of which is preferably flattened out to removably receive a weed cutter 27. The weed cutter 27 is mounted on the arm transversely of the frame l0, and the lower end of the weed cutter 27 is preferably on a plane with the plop/s T ie weed cutter 27 preferably has a sharpened forward edge 28 which is inclined rearwardly from the center thereof.

A pair of guide members 29 are mounted at opposite ends of the weed cutter 27 and are upstanding therefrom, so that when the weed cutter 27 is moved forwardly the guides 29 protrude and extend above the ground. The guides 29 therefore indicate the exact position of the weed cutter 27 beneath the soil so that the operator .will not unknowingly cut the roots of the cultivated plants. The forward edges of the guides 29 are preferably sharpened with the beveled edge extending inwardly so that the guides will not pull the weed cutter 27 toone side. The weed cutter 27 may be removably secured to the llattened end 26 of the arm 25 by a plurality of bolts 30 or the like.

In the operation of this device the plows 19 are mounted on the frame l0 so that their lower ends are at approximately the depth of the roots of the weeds below the bottom of the wheel l5. When the device is pushed forwardly, the plows 19 ,cut up the soil so that it is in a loose condition, and the weed cutter 27 follows up the work of the plows 19 by lifting upwardly all of the loosened soil, the sharpened edge 28 of the weed cutter 27 cutting ofi' the roots of the weeds. The guides'29 of course follow along with the weed cutter, and show the depth of the edge 28 and also determine the exact position of the cutter 27, so that the cultivated plants will not be uprooted and cut off by mistake.

It is of course understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of the invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claim:

What is claimed is: Y

ln a cultivator, a frame plate broad at its forward end and relatively narrow at its rear end, said plate having upper and lower pairs of integral lugs, one pair of said upper lugs disposed on the broad forward end of the frame plate and having transverse open-v ings adapted to receive anchoring means for a gauge wheel structure, a second pair of upper lugs having transverse openings disposed on the narrow rear end of the frame plate for carrying a pair of handles, the third pair of lower lugs disposed on the central lower side of the narrow end, three pairs of lugs on the lower side of the broad end, two of said latter pairs being at the side and one pair centrally and rearwardly disposed with reference to the otherl two pair, all the lower pairs of lugs having centrally disposed openings in the plate Yadapted to receive anchoring means for earth working tools.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

WILLIAM MILLS. 

